When, by using, as a measurement object, a semiconductor device such as a semiconductor chip or a semiconductor wafer integrating the semiconductor chip, and the electric characteristics thereof are to be evaluated, an installation surface of the measurement object is brought into contact with and fixed to a surface of a chuck stage by vacuum suction or the like, and then, contact probes are brought into contact with a surface, which is different from the installation surface of the measurement object, in order to carry out electrical input/output. In this process, in response to conventional demands, etc. for application of large currents or high voltages, pins of the contact probes have been multiplied.
It is known that, if the electric characteristics of the measurement objects are evaluated under such circumstances, a partial discharge phenomenon occurs during the evaluation, which leads to a partial problem of the measurement object. Herein, the partial discharge phenomenon refers to a phenomenon in which partial discharge occurs, for example, between the contact probe and the measurement object or between the contact probes.
If the partial discharge occurred in the evaluation is overlooked and the measurement object (defective product) in which the partial discharge has originally occurred is sent to a post-process in a state where the measurement object (defective product) is determined as a non-defective product in the evaluation, it is extremely difficult to extract the measurement object, in which the partial discharge has originally occurred, as a defective product in the post-process. Therefore, in order to prevent the measurement object, in which the partial discharge has occurred, from being sent to the post-process, it is important to restrain the partial discharge when the electric characteristics of the measurement object are evaluated.
Conventionally, techniques of preventing occurrence of discharge in a characteristic inspection of an electronic component by carrying out the characteristic inspection (characteristic evaluation) in insulating liquid have been disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1).
Moreover, techniques of preventing occurrence of discharge in a characteristic inspection by carrying out the characteristic inspection in a closed space filled with an inert gas have been disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 2).
Moreover, recently, techniques of carrying out failure analysis by infrared spectroscopy or the like from the upper side of a measurement object in electrical evaluation have been disclosed.